There’s something so gratifying about translating the artistic hairstyles from the fall runways into an easily achievable DIY look—and maintaining all its chicness in tact. And getting the ’40s-inspired French twist updo at Carolina Herrera this season is surprisingly easy to try at home. Alain Larivée, Canadian creative consultant for John Frieda, broke down the runway hairstyle and gave us his expert tips on how to get these perfectly twisted French rolls.

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1. “Start with clean, fresh hair,” says Larivée, who recommends using a volumizing shampoo and conditioner for added plumpness to the hair (try John Frieda Luxurious Volume Touchably Full Shampoo and Conditioner). Flip hair upside down and blow dry using fingers to get natural volume from the root. Then flip hair back over and blow dry more precisely by section.

2. Create a deep part in the hair right at the top of the crown—for the twists of this runway hairstyle, you’re going to be dividing hair into three sections, says Larivée. From the top of the crown, draw a secondary line toward the back of the ear (do this on both sides). Then back brush each section from the crown to the nape of the neck.


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On either side, “Grab the entire first section, we’ll call that ‘A’,” he says. Twist it forward, then back underneath and upward, creating a rope feel. “Bring it forward to create more volume,” he adds. Pin the roll at the top over flat hair, criss-crossing bobby pins to secure in place. Insert the bobby pin downward and sideways into the crease of the twist—“ that way it won’t slip out,” he advises.

Same goes for section B (the other side). “Twist the section back underneath and upward, and secure in place in the already-existing section,” Larivée says. “It looks like two sections of twisted rope on top, pinned over brushed hair.” (The remaining brushed hair will become the final twist.)

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Read on for more expert tips on achieving Carolina Herrera’s French twists runway hairstyle…

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3. Inject a little extra volume to the final twist (this would be ‘C’). Create a DIY hair rat (similar to the spongy tube used to achieve
vintage updos and sock buns). “Take synthetic hair and stuff it into a hair net and pin inside,” says Larivée. Hold the hair rat at the bottom of the final section, and wrap hair around it by slowly rolling upward (hair will become thicker as you roll). Make sure it reaches the same height as the other pinned twists.

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4. Lightly back brush the rolled-up hair to give texture to the look, says Larivée. “It’s not complicated to get the look,” he ensures. “But the
trick is in the smoothness.” Finish with a classic holding hairspray to keep everything in place.

5. After some practice, this beauty trend will become easier to achieve, Larivée insists. As for the perfect length, you’ll need to have enough hair to twist up and pin on top. To test? “Fold over the bottom half of your hair, and if it reaches the centre, that means when it’s wrapped up, you’ll probably have enough,” he explains. If the length is too long, the look becomes more complicated as there’s now more to work with. For fine hair, “You may want to try a mini hair rats to give volume on each side.”


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6. Part of creating this French twist updo is deciding on the perfect event to wear it to. “It’s not for a casual event, it will look overdone” warns Larivée about these nouveau French twists. “It’s like wearing an evening gown at a cocktail party, it doesn’t fit.” But the undeniable chicness of the beauty trend is instantly transformative. “It’s an artistic approach to hair,” he says.

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